“’Awake, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Be careful then, how you live—not as unwise, but wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:14-16) It is interesting how the holidays reveal so much about men’s hearts. I am blessed by stories of Good […]
(Reprint from 2010 post) “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 A little more than forty years ago, I was a defeated young man with a bad case of the blues. Only a year out of seminary I found myself on the receiving end […]
Christmas is just around the corner. As a grandparent, what kind of gifts will you give this year that will mean something beyond the Christmas season? In my post last week I challenged you to practice Kingdom gifting. One practical way to do that is giving your grandchildren a GrandCamp adventure gift for Christmas. You […]
“A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.” Prov. 13:22 Who doesn’t love giving gifts to their grandchildren, especially at Christmas? I know we certainly do. Yet, kingdom-minded grandparents understand that giving good gifts is not the same as attempting to buy happiness for our grandchildren or from our grandchildren by giving them […]
“We will not hide them from [our children];we will tell the next generation…” –Psalms 78:4a God clearly instructs grandparents to “tell” the next generations “the praiseworthy deeds of God, His power and the wonders He has done” (Psalms 78:4). In other words, we are commanded to be Story Tellers in our family. One way we […]
It’s true that few things are grander than being a grandparent. It’s also true that at times few things can be more challenging than being a grandparent (unless you’re this guy in the kayak!). Too often, it is anything but what we expect it to be. If you’re a grandparent who is parenting your grandchildren, […]
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus (John 16:33) The story is told of a shipwreck survivor winding up on a deserted island. Daily he prayed that God would rescue him. A few days into his ordeal, he decided to build a hut for protection and […]
GRANDPAUSE: In prayer there is no distance. Grandparenting from a distance does have its challenges. We miss out on so much of the special moments happening in our grandchildren’s lives because they are so far away. And want can adequately replace a real hug or holding a child’s hand as you walk together through the park? […]
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established. Proverbs 24:3 Not long ago I interviewed Wayne and Marci Rice on our Family Impact Podcast (click here for that interview) about their new reality as long distant grandparents. They understand the loneliness that grandparents who are not geographically close to their grandchildren […]
#5: Habitual Blessing Giver Diane and I had the privilege to speak a special blessing over all but one of our nine grandchildren in the hospital room soon after their birth. We have since written and spoken numerous other blessings over them through the years. Why do we do it? Because we believe spoken blessings […]
